Last week, it was an abandoned feed store in downtown Nashville. This week, it's an Alan Jackson pop-up store featuring hats, shirts, mugs, coasters, barbecue sauce and other items bearing the country music legend's name or likeness.

There are replicas of his signature white cowboy hat ... a miniature version of his touring trailer for $44.99 ... and a jacquard throw with a picture of Jackson's face woven into the fabric (perfect for those impromptu games of pin the mustache on your favorite country star).

The temporary Cracker Barrel outpost will last for the duration of CMA week - and then it'll be gone.

Interestingly, Jackson doesn't plan to attend the 43rd Annual CMA Awards tomorrow. Because he's off-cycle (which means he didn't have an album that was eligible), he's not nominated this year. The singer-songwriter says he's been in the studio putting the finishing touches on a new album that's due out in early spring.

"This one's pretty much the same ol' me," he deadpans.

He was more outwardly enthusiastic when talking about his partnership with Cracker Barrel. "My kind of food, my kind of people," he said.

His favorite meal? "I'd have to lean toward breakfast - the biscuit, and the sausage and the hash brown casserole thing that they have. For lunch, I like that meatloaf sandwich."

soundoff(5 Responses)

Susan

Alan Jackson is a real country singer along with the likes of George Strait and Reba McIntyre. They sound just as good on stage as when they are in a studio. What a crying shame that whomever is voting for these artists feels that just because they can sing in a studio that they can actually carry a tune. I can't believe that they listen to them sing on a stage and think that they have what it takes to be a
real artist! I will not be watching the awards because most of the true/real artists are being bypassed!

It's funny, but one reason I love Alan so much is because he reminds me of my uncle. They're both tall, soft-spoken men with gentle, simple natures, and my uncle once played jazz guitar. Their speaking voices are so similar that I've always felt that if my uncle could sing, he'd sound like Alan. The other reason I love Alan is because his music is pure and traditional. It's the real thing - unpackaged, unprocessed music that makes you taste the country air, picture the bluegrass mountains, walk down the street of a small country town. I wish him all the best.